Deal With It
by TeamRed
Summary: Elliot has been feeling...odd lately. He can't seem to get his mind off of Ada Vessalius. What could this lead to? Rated M for future chapters, just to be safe-I DON'T OWN PANDORA HEARTS I'M JUST A FANGIRL! Btw this is for Voodoo-Llama and NoSrsBsnss, luv u guys! Chapters 8 and up dedicated to desamparo
1. Chapter 1

**Elliot's POV:**

Damn feelings. I hate them.

I always catch myself staring at her in class. Just like the rest of the guys do. So what if her stupid blonde hair shines like gold. And those eyes. Those stupid beautiful eyes. Big deal, they seem to sparkle like emeralds.

'That's right, I don't see anything in her,' I thought to myself. Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by an elbow in my ribs. "Quit staring at her, Elliot, it's rude," Leo whispered. "I wasn't staring, you idiot!" I retorted. Guess I said it too loud. "Boys, do you need to leave the room?" inquired Mrs. Kate. "No ma'am," we replied in unison. I looked over to Leo, hoping he was looking this way so I could stare him down for that. How dare a servant correct his master like that? Then again, Leo would probably go on his rant about what a 'true servant' should do to 'improve' his master. Whatever. Wait... was Ada just... giggling at me? I could feel the hot blood rush to my face. 'Stupid Vessalius girl,' I thought to myself, redirecting my attention back to Mrs. Kate.

I left the room as soon as the teacher dismissed us. Heading straight for the dorm, I stormed off, leaving Leo to return alone. At the time, I simply didn't give a damn. I slammed the door shut behind me upon making my arrival. "Ugh, stupid, stupid, stupid!" I shouted, slamming my head on the wall.

Ada's POV:

I tried so unbearably hard not to look at him. As always, it was a challenge. As we sat in class, Mrs. Kate lecturing us on some history lesson, I began to fidget. I simply couldn't hold it any longer, so I decided to sneak a peek at Elliot, just to see what he was up to. Little did I expect him to be staring back. Our eyes met for only a fraction of a second. How deep were those cerulean eyes...Before i could lavish in them but a second longer, they were torn away from me. 'Is he...blushing?' I thought to myself. Only a mere two minutes later did I hear that gruff voice: "I wasn't staring, you idiot!" I turned to see the target of his anger. Unfortunately, it was poor Leo. Mrs. Kate fussed at them a bit, but at the time, all I could think of was containing a laugh. A giggle slipped passed my lips, and one knew I would regret it. He turned to glare at me, those same ceruleans burning with anger and irritation. Once class ended, I was about to apologize when he bolted out the door, not looking back.

I met with Oni-chan after school at the Rainsworth manor. Sharon had taken me out shopping prior to this, to calm my feelings. "That dress is very lovely, Ada!" exclaimed Oz. I smiled; Oni-chan could always cheer me up. "It will be perfect for the ball." The ball. The source of all my terrors. Latowidge Academy was holding a ball. All my friends were going, and of course I planned on going as well. Only one problem remained: I hadn't been asked yet. However, Oz didn't have to know that. Sharon, interrupting my thoughts, dragged me off to her room to play with my hair, "No time for chit-chat, let's go do something fun!"

Elliot's POV:

"Elliot, how long are you going to laze around on that couch?" whined Leo. Giving just a glance, I stayed otherwise still. He sighed, "Is it too difficult for you to just ask-" "It would ruin my reputation as a Nightray!" I shouted. However, my words meant nothing to me. I was simply dying to ask her to the ball, but my pride overran my heart. I actually wanted someone else to ask her, just to keep from doing it myself. I got up once Leo left the room, and stepped outside for a breath of air. I wandered into the school gardens,"Looks like I got my wish came true after all," I thought to myself. One of the nobles from a smaller duke house stood kneeling before her, and one had to be stupid as hell not to realize he was asking her hand for the ball.

Be careful what you wish for.

I was far from happy about this. I wanted nothing more than to chuck something at his stupid face. Before I knew what I was doing, I sent a book flying for his head. Might as well have written "Elliot Nightray threw this," because who else would have "Holy Knight Volume XVI" at hand?! The two of them looked in my direction, Ada looking me straight in the eye. "Oh, God," I thought, "what the hell did I just do?" The guy walked away, leaving her where she stood, even in spite of her turning to call his name, begging him to come back. Once he was out of sight, she slumped down to the ground, bowing her head. She turned her head slightly to glance at me, and even though we were only about thirty yards apart, it felt like miles. However, I could see the hurt look in her eyes as she stared at me. She sniffled, standing up and walking away, almost running. I had to hold myself back to resist the urge to chase after her. Or maybe I could catch that brat of a guy and beat him into asking her again.

Anything not to see such a sad face.


	2. Chapter 2

Ada's POV:

'How much harder could this get? Does he not want me to go to the ball? Well, I can't blame him for not wanting me to ruin a perfect evening for him by being there. But who would he go with? Elle? Melonie? Catherine? Probably one of those pretty girls,' I thought to myself. The least I could do was keep smiling and act cheerful, for the sake of Elliot's mood. After all, I simply wouldn't be able to bear it if I upset him. Not that I haven't done that before. He always seems to be in the worst possible mood upon my entry of the room. Almost as if my very presence causes him to feel distraught.

As if things couldn't get any worse, Mrs. Kate was assigning us a partner for a project, an essay, to my assumption. "Ada," she said. I held my breath for the answer, an eternity lingering between my name and the following one. "-and Elliot." My heart skipped a beat. However, in spite of this, I looked over to him, smiling as he made his way over. He silently sat down in a desk beside me. We waited in an intense silence for Mrs. Kate to finish announcing the groups. "You may begin," she stated. I didn't know if this was good or bad;l good, in the sense that I could be near him for the entire week, yet bad in the sense that he might dread being next to me, making this difficult for the two of us. He seemed to choose the option to be content. No, not content, simply putting up with it. He slammed his books onto the table, clenching his teeth, yet ironically said, "Let's get started, shall we?"

We worked for the rest of class, getting along just fine. I searched his face for any sign of friendliness. However, what I found was not even a slight trace of emotion.

The next day in class, I had discovered that Leo had fallen mildly ill, and was therefore sent to the infirmary. Much to my chagrin, yet not to my surprise, Elliot had skipped class to see Leo and "deliver schoolwork." I tried working on the project alone, yet my mind kept wandering. 'I hope Elliot doesn't fall ill as well...oh, I wonder what he could possibly be up to?'

After class, I went to the library in search for a good book. To my surprise, I found Elliot there as well. He was reading "Holy Knight Vol. XVI," the same book he threw at...Daniel? Was that his name? It surprised me that I couldn't even seem to remember the poor man's name. 'Am I that distracted by Elliot?' I asked myself. All I could seem to recall clearly was Elliot's rage directed to the man. He seemed to be more furious than I had ever seen before, and I've seen him during quite the tough times. Why would he be so angry? He certainly wasn't jealous, as one would normally think if it were anyone else, so I could not seem to come to a logical conclusion. As I had walked in, he gave no more than a careless glance in my direction, before returning his attention to the book, but otherwise refused to acknowledge my presence. Definitely was not jealousy. I decided to break the tension between us. "Um," I began hesitantly, "so, is Leo feeling any better, Elliot-?" Big mistake. I regretted saying the word the second it slipped free of my mouth. "How many times do I have to remind you, Vessalius?! May I remind you that you are FORBIDDEN to speak my name so leisurely and without proper respect?! Learn your place, you fool!" he shouted, slamming his book down on the nearest table. I shrieked, shielding my face with my hands to defend myself against a strike I assumed was approaching. He fell silent instead. I peaked cautiously through my fingers, wondering why he became so calm all of a sudden. His face had softened and he stepped back, readjusting his composure, and...blushed? Were my eyes deceiving me? Yes, it must be a trick of the mind. He cleared his throat, speaking softly. "I apologize for my behavior," he said furtively. I, too, composed myself and gave a gentle laugh to lighten the atmosphere, "I'm sorry, too. I forgot how stressed you must be with Leo out sick. Especially with exams and everything, with his absence, it's probably hard for you to keep it all together..."

Elliot's POV:

I was torn as to how to respond. A large part of me wanted to tell her off, let her know how much of an idiot she was. Really, is it that easy to forget my yelling in her face every single day, telling her not to speak my name so frequently? However, part of me, deep down, told me not to be too hard on her. I simply sighed, "Anyway, have you gotten any work done on the project?" She blushed, shying away from me. "Well, a little. Not as much as I should have. I was so distracted and worried about-" "What? What could possibly be so utterly important for it to snatch your concentration? Oh, well that could be anything I suppose, especially if you have the attention span of a squirrel-" Oh, shit. She was tearing up. This time, I had a feeling she was really hurt. "I-I'm sorry," I said sincerely, unconsciously stepping closer to her, " Please, don't...don't cry..." She then looked up at me, tears threatening to fall from her emerald eyes, but she payed no mind. As if she had completely forgotten her hurt feelings, she simply looked at me, almost curiously. No, it was not curiousity I saw, more like anticipation. I felt I had to get out of the room, out of the building, in spite of my longing to simply be there to comfort her. "I-...I have to go," I said briskly, turning to run out the door.

Why does this always happen? I have a chance to show kindness and all I can do is make her stupid face cry. It always ends up with me looking like a damned fool. Me, and Nightray heir! Dammit, this stupid cycle always gets the best of me. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to make things right. I always blame it on the fact that the two duke families are on bad terms with one another, but that is no excuse, for I get along with her older brother Oz just fine. What's wrong with me?


	3. Chapter 3

Elliot'sPOV:

Finally, after that trauma in the library. Saturday had finally arrived, freeing the students of lectures and other work. The ball was exactly a week from today, and so all the other students had set who they were to go with. Unfortunately, I had a group of fangirls following me around day and night trying to catch my attention, but alas it was in vain. 'Girls are so scary sometimes...' I thought to myself. I managed to get away from them for a little while, so I ran off to the infirmary to hang out with Leo. As I walked in, I was greeted with "So, I heard you made Ada cry again yesterday?" I fumed, "Shut up you idiot, she was just being a baby. Who told you that anyway?" He grinned, picking up a book he was currently reading, "You did, just now." God, he's such a prick. Leo, reading my mind as always, simply said, "You really need to keep an eye out for that mouth of yours. Tends to slip a lot." I sighed, "Whatever, baka." After that awkward introduction, we talked for a good two hours before the nurse had to split us apart, "Don't want you getting sick, too, Elliot. We see you in here quite enough." I blushed a little, after all I did get a few battle scars from fighting off the Baskervilles every once in awhile. Besides, it's not like I can just tell them, "Oh, by the way, I was out trying to save the world from these vicious creatures called chains, and ran into the duke house that controls most of their activity. You know, the usual."

Anyway, I walked outside to the school park and saw Ada sitting alone. Working on the essay, and on a Saturday. 'Why is she wasting her time like that?' Then it hit me. She was doing this to please me. I couldn't help but to feel guilty, for this should be her time to do whatever she wanted, not work on our project. I walked up to her, and immediately she looked up at me. She had looked so serious while working, but all of that melted away as soon as she presented a smile. "Nice to see you here today." I took note of the fact that she refrained from using my name. She sure was on one hell of a roll today. "Um, I'm not really doing anything at the moment. I couldn't help but notice you working over here all alone, you shouldn't have to do that." She seemed confused, but then gave a slight chuckle, "I assumed that if I finished this project sooner, you and I would have less work during school days and we would have more time for other things." I sighed, "Well, then at least let me help you," I said, sitting down beside her. We actually worked for a good bit of time, perhaps an hour or two. It was actually nice to be so leisure around her, no tensity at all. Suddenly, her voice interrupted my thoughts as my mind was about to wonder (which I'm now thankful it didn't...), "Do you think that we should add something else, like maybe a paragraph or two on the Rainsworth estate as well?" I shrugged, "I think we have enough already, I mean we haven't even got to the Barma section yet. Besides, is there really anything interesting about the Rainsworth household?" I said dryly. She erupted with laughter, barely containing herself. "What? I was serious!" I said, beginning to laugh a little myself.

She then burst out laughing with no restraints, and ended up falling off of the bench, still laughing hysterically even when she was on the ground. I helped her up, smirking. Hard to believe she's the senior and I'm a sophomore. "You're a mess, you know that?" She still smiled, "I suppose I am. I'm sorry for being so disgraceful, it's just that..." Now I was interested to hear this one. "Just what?" She looked a little uncertain, pondering on whether or not she should say it. Her mouth got the best of her, and blurted, "Because Sharon-chan said she thinks the Nightrays are a bunch of drama queens, especially you!" She exclaimed accenting the last part. I was appalled, but instead of getting angry like I usually would, I just shrugged sarcastically, "Well that doesn't surprise me, especially if it's coming from Little Miss Stuck-Up." She laughed again, (fortunately not hysterically, like last time) "You two are actually quite entertaining." I bowed sarcastically, "I try, Madam." I suddenly realized that I had made quite the fool of myself this afternoon. Then again, it's just the two of us here, so why should I care? 'You're going to regret this,' I thought to myself.

Screw it. "Ne, Ada-chan?" I asked casually. She looked up to face me, "Yes?" she asked ever so politely. "What do you say we go into town and do something fun? There's currently a fair in town, if you're interested," I asked, completely nonchalant. She suddenly perked up, "Really? I'd love to!" she exclaimed excitedly. I took her hand, taking her by surprise. She looked up at me and blushed. "It's alright, today we can do whatever the hell we want." She smiled, accepting my hand.

We spent hours out in the city. We went to every single attraction in sight. We went to the fair, as promised, and spent a good three hours there. I even punched a guy. Why, I don't even know.Ada had seen a prize that for some reason she refused to leave without at least trying to get. She had played a game of darts seven times, viciously close to winning each time, but finally gave up. I decided to chip in, and won it for her. It wasn't one of those giant fluffy teddy bears that most girls like, but rather a cat toy. It was a white plush cat, a little smaller than life size, with a pink ribbon around its neck, a tiny gold bell in the middle. "Why did you pick that one, of all of your options? Aren't girls suppose to go rabid over teddy bears?" She giggled, "This cat reminds me of a cat I had when I was little. Oni-chan and Gilbert-san might remember her, her name was Dinah." "Sounds sort of like Snowdrop." I said, remembering the white cat that often attacked Gil. "Yeah, Snowdrop's a lot like Dinah."

"Bocchan, are you sure this is a good idea?" inquired the young Raven. "Shhh! We'll get caught!" said Oz, in a hushed scolding tone, "But bocchan-" "Ada-chan, may I hold Dinah for a moment?" Asked Oz sweetly. "Sure," said Ada, happily handing Dinah over to her precious older brother. "Bo-Bocchan?" asked Gil, shaking.

Mrs. Kate dropped a vase she had currently been carrying at the sight of a screaming Gilbert, running down the halls screaming "Devil neko!" as Dinah clawed at his frightened face.

After the fair, we went to a small cafe, in which we made so much noise from laughter and talking that it is a wonder that we weren't thrown out.

We walked back towards the dorms, Ada holding on to my arm for stability. Funny, I don't even recall drinking any liquor. "Thank you for today, it's been really fun Elliot." She tensed up as soon as she said it. I just let it go, "Don't worry about it, Ada-chan. I actually had a lot of fun spending the evening with you." I hated to admit it, but I knew I couldn't keep lying to myself. We arrived to her door step and turned to face one another to bid our goodbyes. "It was lovely seeing you. I hope we can do this again sometime," she said, gently. "Maybe we could do something together tomorrow, then?" I asked, before I could even stop myself. "I would really like that," she said, "See you tomorrow, then?" "See you tomorrow," I replied. After she closed the door, I slowly made my way back to my own dorm. I suddenly realized that I had never had such a good time with anyone else before. I couldn't help but wonder where all of this could lead to.


	4. Chapter 4

Ada'sPOV:

I simply couldn't wait for Elliot to arrive. We had agreed for him to come by my dorm room to pick me up. Fortunately, my roommate Ella had gone out to meet with some other friends. She had invited me to go as well, but I had to decline, for I wasn't about to miss a day with Elliot, as rare as the occasion presented itself. "Aw, but why not, Ada-chan?" she had asked, quite disappointed. "Well, I sort of made plans already," I said shyly, yet I was quite proud of the reason on the inside. "Like what? You seem excited-oh my gosh, you're blushing! Is it a date?" she asked excitedly. "Not really, but I am going to spend the day with Elliot again-" "Again? Oh, I'm so happy for you! I know you've been waiting for this day for so long!" she said, hugging me. I hugged her back and giggled, "I know!" The two of them gushed for a bit, until the other girls arrived to whisk Ella away for a girl's night out. Not much later a knock resounded from the door, "I'm coming!" I cried out, fixing my dress as I ran for the door. I was wearing a little party dress, a white corset-like top (with straps, of course) with a frilly, knee-length skirt. I tried to dress cute, but not too revealing or anything. After all, I couldn't see Elliot liking flashy women.

I opened the door, and there he was. He wore a white dress shirt without a tie and slacks. Funny, almost as if he had thought about over-dressing like I had... he forced a shy smile, "Hello, Ada-chan. You look rather lovely today," he said, blushing. I grinned, "You look cute, Elly-kun!" He was taken aback, for no one but his sister Vanessa called him 'Elly.'

NeutralPOV:

As it did the day before, their day out together was fun, just the two of them running around town all day. That is, it was normal until the end of it- Elliot had taken Ada back to campus, but didn't head straight to her dorm to take her home. She noticed this, "Elliot, where are we going?" He smirked, but looked to the ground, as if it were telling him what to say. "Well," he began, Ada couldn't quite name the expression on his face, "I thought we might as well stay up a little later tonight." She realized where they were going. He pulled her excitedly towards a set of buildings she never thought she would enter, especially not after dark. The boy's dorms. She laughed to herself, trying not to be too tense about the very thought of breaking the rules. They reached Elliot's dorm, and he politely ushered her inside. Ada looked around the room, examining everything. It was...beautiful. There was a large window overlooking the school's courtyard, with a window seat, a well-sized stack of books beside it. The room smelled of vanilla, a scent she often associated with Elliot.

The two settled down on his couch, and chatted for a good two hours. At first Elliot was a little tense, but Ada seemed to have calmed his nerves. They talked about everything, and Ada even ended up telling Elliot about Ella's reaction to their newly found acquaintance. He actually found it a little embarrassing, but otherwise didn't mind it. He even, in turn, told her about how Leo always pestered him about his manner in treated Ada. She laughed, "Really? It's not every day that a servant tells his master what to do. Then again, Leo is very wise, so his advice is always quite accurate," she said. Elliot then became lost in thought.

"Elliot, why don't you just tell her how you feel?" inquired Leo. "With girls like her, you always just have to man up and tell them, because trust me, with your history together I doubt she'd ever make an aggressive move."

"Elliot?" she asked. He came back to his senses, "Ah, yes, sorry Ada. I just..." he sighed. "Ada, I don't know how to say this to you without seeming indecent," he said softly. He took her hand in his and worked up his courage, looking her right in the eyes. "Elliot...?" He took a deep breath, "I'm just going to make this simple, so as not to complicate things. I like you, alot more than you think I do. I denied it all this time, because I thought 'What will my family think?' Well, they don't matter. I'm willing to betray my name just to let you know that I-..." he wavered for a moment. The pause seemed to last a million years and then some, before he finally spoke. "I love you, Ada Vessalius!" he declared valiantly. Before their eyes flashed every tale of the knight in shining armor proclaiming his love for his beautiful princess. And as these stories had gone, it ended with love in return. Ada's eyes were stung with tears, crashing herself into him in a tight bear hug as she promised to love him forever and ever. He gave a small smile, taking her into his arms and cradling her. They remained this way until Ada fell silent. Elliot pulled back to look into her face, which only have off a soft hue of longing. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment. The moment was broken when Elliot leaned in to claim her lips with his.

They kissed with a burning passion, that they finally had each other after years of tormenting wonder. The rest of the evening was shared intimately, with Elliot stealing kisses in between sweet conversations. They remained this way until midnight. Elliot snuck off with Ada to return to her dorm, where he gave her a last good night kiss before they parted ways. Once Ada's door separated the two of them, their minds jumped ahead to one thought: "I can't wait for the ball next weekend."

Throughout the week, they sat side by side in all of their classes, and turned in their essay which was the source that started it all. They got an -A, but come on, it's real life. This isn't just a fairy tale or dream or whatever, right?

Or was it?


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, everybody! Thank you so much for sticking with me for this long, I love you all very much! I'd like to thank evil-angel-sakura, Bottled.Island, Lorraylon, desampro, MissAmuletAngelPotter, NoSrsBsnss, and many more for giving me support. Thanks to you, I have the drive to complete this story. Please comment with any critiques you may have, I'd rather have too harsh a correction than none at all. I'm even open to any requests!

NeutralPOV:

It was Friday night, the eve of the ball. Everyone was excited, Ada and Elliot without an excuse. They spent all the time they could together, but of course it was limited, due to Leo bursting into the library at five o'clock sharp to drag Elliot away to tend to some important business. This had somehow become a necessity, due to the young "couple" being practically inseparable. They considered themselves a couple, but no one other than the two of them and Leo (of course Ada's nosy roommate stuck her nose in the whole situation, but Ada managed to keep her out) knew. Elliot decided to present their relationship to the rest of the school by escorting her to the ball.

The two were walking in the empty rose garden, hand in hand. Ada was gazing off into the distance when suddenly, Elliot stopped. "Eh?" she uttered, turning to see her darling Elly on his knee at her side. A rose in one hand, Ada's hand in the other, he asked the question she had been waiting for; "Ada, it would be a great honor if I..." he gathered his courage. Although they now spent so much time together, he was still nervous. Never in his life did he imagine such a thing would occur. "-If I could be your escort to the ball tomorrow night?" Her emerald eyes lit up in a radiance that could not be named just with "happiness." This was a sort of glee that was immeasurable. It was as if the whole world had stopped just for the two of them, just for this one moment. "Of course...of course I will!" exclaimed the girl. She threw herself into his arms, that of which responded to her embrace. Elliot tucked Ada's head beneath his chin, cradling her close. Ada began to cry tears of joy as she clung to him. He, too, smiled. However, for some reason he also felt uneasy. Something was shadowing over him. Why did he feel like this was just a hopeless fairytale?

"Oh, Elliot, you look absolutely dashing!" exclaimed Ada as she ran towards him, her evening gown swishing behind her. He wore a sharp black tuxedo, and Ada wore a beautiful lavender evening gown, her hair put up into a French Twist. Elliot grinned, "And might I say,-" he began, wrapping his arms around her as he placed butterfly kisses in her golden hair, "-you look like quite the lovely sight yourself, Ada-chan." She blushed, "Thank you!" The two pulled apart. "Shall we depart now, my lady?" asked Elliot, bashfully extending his arm for her. She accepted, and the two departed for the ball.

Here we see a young man and his friend also walking towards the ballroom. "You sure this is such a great idea, Daniel?" asked the friend, feeling quite edgy. "Of course, dimwit. That stupid Nightray brat got in the way of me taking Ada to the ball. So, if he's gonna play dirty, then sure as hell I am too!" fumed Daniel. The friend, still nervous, began to plead with him. "But Daniel, she's not twenty-one yet! This is illegal!" "Who cares?! Grow up, it's just a little alcohol! I'll only pour enough in her drink to get her drunk, not kill her! That would defeat the purpose, you idiot!" exclaimed the furious one. "But," the other one said quietly, "Elliot will find out what you did...I'm sure he will! This is such an unthinkable thing to do, just don't do it!" he protested one last time. However, Daniel wasn't listening. He was going to intoxicate Ada and get her to sleep with him. He wanted her so badly, he didn't even care if he had to drug her to do it. When she began to feel sleepy from the alcohol, he would swoop in and escort her home. No one would stop him.

Half way through the ball, Ada started acting quite strange. "Oh, Elly," she would say, twirling a strand of hair, "you're so cute. How I would love to just cuddle you like a teddy bear..." Upon saying this, she would grab his arm and rub it against her cheek. "Ada!" he snapped, pulling his arm free. "What's gotten into you? Your face is all red and you're acting weird as hell!" he exclaimed, obviously frustrated. He pulled her aside into a quieter area to examine her. She giggled, "Are you going to kiss me, my prince?" she said dreamily, her face inches from his. That's when he realized. "Ada, are...are you drunk?!" he shouted. "Hee hee, of course not!" she replied, grinning like a fool. Elliot sighed. "We should probably get going, Ada. I'll take you home. Let me just retrieve our coats, stay right here!" he declared firmly, walking off to the desired location. It was only then that she noticed Daniel smirking at her several yards away. "My, my," he began, stepping closer to her, "What kind of gentleman leaves a lady all by herself? Certainly not a good one." She only laughed sheepishly, "I guess Elliot's a little...stubborn at times." By now, her eyes were beginning to feel heavy. "Is that so?" asked the man, taking hold of her chin now. "I would never let that happen to you, Ada. If you were mine,-" he now had a hand on her hip, pinning her to a wall, "I'd never let you go," he whispered in her ear. She blushed, but did not resist. "What do you say _I_ take you home, instead of that lame excuse of a man?" "Okay..." she muttered softly. As the two walked outside into the night, Daniel escorted her at a brisk pace so to decrease the chance of anyone seeing him. "ADA!" shouted Elliot from behind. He came stomping towards the two of them, positively furious. Daniel cursed under his breath, angry to have been caught. "Just what do you think you're doing with her?!" shouted the Nightray, shoving the other to the ground without so much as a grunt of effort. Daniel scowled, "I could ask you the same. Since when did you ever treat her well?" "At least I'm not so low as to _rape_ her!" he retorted, unsheathing his sword to meet the face of his opponent. Ada was positively flustered, "Elliot!" she exclaimed, grabbing his unoccupied arm. "Come on, let's just go," she asked, looking up at Elliot with the most innocent eyes imaginable. Naturally, his heart melted at the sight. He gave Daniel one more glare of hatred, before sheathing his sword and swiftly turning on his heel to take Ada back to her dorm.

He walked her inside, his gaze only filled with worry. He had heard from Daniel's friend (Of course, he got him to speak by physical force) that the man had put alcohol in Ada's drink in hopes of lowering her inhibitions and luring her to his bed. After which he stormed out to catch the criminal in the act. Elliot was only relieved to have caught them in time... "Elliot?" she asked, looking at him with those sad eyes after Elliot explained his findings. "Yes, Ada-chan?" She looked down, hiding her eyes beneath her bangs. "I...I don't ever want that to happen...Especially since it would be my first time..." she let the sentence hang in the air. He took her into his arms, just short of tears falling from his eyes, "I would never forgive myself if I allowed someone to hurt you that way." "I know," she said firmly. "That's why..." she took a deep breath, "I want you to do it. Tonight." She finally met his gaze again. His absolutely shocked gaze. "A-Ada-chan...I-" she cut him off, putting a finger to his lips. "Before you reject me, I just want to say one thing." Well, it wasn't exactly words... Ada connected her lips with his, pressing her chest to his, completely closing any gaps between them. Before he could respond, she had already pushed her sleeves off of her shoulders, exposing her entire torso, covered only by a corset. She kissed him once more, much harder than she ever had, and in that moment he lost all self restraint. One thing led to another, and the two ended up in Ada's bedroom. They remained there for the rest of the night.

Elliot awoke, startled by the new environment. He didn't remember where he was, until his gaze locked on Ada beside him beneath the covers. She was sound asleep, golden locks all over the place. The boy's eyes widened in shock as the previous night came rushing back to him. He remembered everything, but most of all, he remembered Ada. The sweet sighs she gave under his touch, his words of love tangled in the air. She began to stir, opening her sweet green eyes to see Elliot staring out the window, his face completely blank. She wrapped her arms around his bare torso, kissing his cheek. He took her hand in his, but still did not face her. "Ada, I..." he began, hushed. She silenced him, "Shh, it's okay. I'm not mad at you." She laughed nervously. "I suppose people don't bother to hide their true motives while under the influence-" "It doesn't matter," he said sternly. "I know you were intoxicated, but that's no excuse on my part. I should not have let this happen," he said, burying his head in his hands, fingers threatening to tear his hair out. Ada looked concerned, "But, Elly-" "No, Ada. Don't you understand? What if you are married off to someone else? What will they do when they _realize__?!_ Do you get it, now? This is bad for you!" he said, barely containing himself from shouting. "Elliot, look at me!" she shouted, frustrated. When he refused to look at her, she forced him to face her. Grabbing his chin, she turned his head towards her. "Look, that is absolutely the _least_of our concerns, if we have any at all! Do you want to know why? Because I don't plan on marrying anyone if it isn't you!" she shouted. Elliot fell into a hush, obviously astounded that such a small girl could be so determined. His eyes softened, and he smiled. "Okay, Ada-chan." Taking her into his arms, he spoke. "Then your wish is mine as well."

And so, the two young lovers got dressed for the day (Elliot made a mad dash back to his dorm to change into his uniform). Reaching the point of no return, where will their story continue on in the future?

Or will it at all?


	6. Chapter 6

Warning, spoilers from the manga! Just so you know, I did kind of change the original scene to it would depict the emotion I was going for a little better. Let me know what you think, please!

Oh, how it pained me to see this. It was a scene so horrible, one would not know where to begin an explanation of the anguish shared in this moment. Truly devastating.

Months had passed since the eventful night of the ball, one of which Ada and Elliot would never forget. Now, things are different. We see Ada running through the halls of the burning mansion of Isla Yura, her skirts in her hands as she frantically ran to help her beloved, for she feared he was in harm's way. Elliot on the other hand, sat just above a flight of steps, his shirt unbuttoned, as he stared in horror at the grotesque tattoo on his chest. The seal of an illegal contractor. He knew he was the head hunter, and hated himself. He would never be able to forgive himself for killing his own family. The memory of the cold and dead Vanessa, his beloved elder sister, laying on the floor before him, completely lifeless. It was more than poor Elliot's heart could take.

Blond hair flying behind her as she ran through the maze-like hallways, barely escaping the flames licking at the walls. Faster, faster, she continued her frenzie to find him before it was too late...

Now, a voice spoke out to him. He could not label it, but he could hear the voice loud and clear. "Would you prefer to die from these horrid creatures-or have Oz-kun assassinate you himself?" Elliot did not look the person in the face, for his eye was caught somewhere outside the doorway, he saw Ada running, running, running...until she reached the one she was looking for the must. Her eyes merely swept over Elliot for a second, then switched to her true target. "Vincent, are you alright?!" she shouted, trying to pull at the hand covering his mouth in horror. "No...No, go away! I WANT YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT!" shouted Elliot's adoptive brother. Ada was on the verge of tears. She turned and went to another room, disappearing from Vincent's sight. Elliot craned his neck, and sure enough, there she was. She picked up a sword, fending of the opposing Baskerville's with a surprising muster. Vincent stumbled into the room, his eyes widening as he realized what Ada was doing. "Vincent-sama! Don't look!" she exclaimed, trying to crawl away from his line of vision again. "What are you doing?" he asked. "I'm protecting Vincent-sama, and-" she smiled so radiantly, it shook Elliot's heart. "-keeping out of his sight!" Elliot himself was almost lost in her beauty once more, but suddenly, a cloaked figure approached her from behind. "Echo!" shouted Vincent, sending his servant to protect Ada. Once the nearby Baskervilles were slayed, Vincent took Ada into a tight embrace. "Vi-Vincent-sama..." she said breathlessly, surprised by his sudden affection. Vincent confessed his love for ada then and there.

Both of them were completely blind to the dying Elliot, just yards away. The boy's heart broke before him as he realized; Ada Vessalius did not love him. She never did. He was only an object for her to spend her affection on. Yes, now it all made sense. Elliot recalled, tears stinging his eyes as the cruel truth unrolled before him, that she had shown signs just after meeting Vincent. She was late for their Valentine's Day anniversary, showing up with her hair disheveled and out of breath. This was a mere two days after meeting Vincent.

Elliot then turned back to the person who had spoken to him. He smirked, laughing insanely to himself, "I choose neither." "Huh?" the man asked, startled. "That's right. Humpty Dumpty-

_I_ _reject_ _you__._"

And so, that was that. Elliot was born alone, and he was destined to die alone. However, he died nobly, protecting the remainder of his family. Elliot was not, in spite of what one might think, the jealous type. He truly loved Ada, and so he chose to take his own life, so to protect his most beloved Ada, in event that he might unconsciously kill her the way he did to his family. He did so not only for her, so that Vincent, too, would be safe. So that Ada and Vincent could be in love together for the rest of their lives.

Little did Elliot know, his effort was fruitless. He was never the head hunter. "Who was it, then?" Why, isn't it obvious? It was none other than-

Vincent Nightray.

Just so you know, I love Ada. I didn't want to make it seem like I'm a hater. I just wanted to express how I felt when I found out she dated Vincent and never bothered with Elliot in the manga. I hope you liked it, please critique, and feel free to make a request!


	7. Chapter 7

Hey, you guys! I lied, there's one more :3 I thank all of you who supported me throughout this short story, from those who left inspiring comments to those who just took the time to read even a little bit. You have all been very important to the completion of this story, and I thank you for that. Here's a little bit of closure! :) SPOILER ALERT!

PS this is just going with the theory that Elliot didn't actually die, but was just dragged into Abyss with Humpty Dumpty.

Here lies Elliot Nightray, drifting in the Abyss. Sinking, sinking, down to the very core. He is surrounded by what appears to be water and the shattered lives of the creatures living there. He is covered in blood, his former chain nowhere to be seen. He closes his eyes, knowing that he will soon be overtaken by the insane atmosphere of everything around him. That is, until he snaps his eyes open, realizing he is now in a place that surely could not be the Abyss. Or rather, a strange part of it. The Core. Yes, that must be it. He sits up, taking in his surroundings. A black-and-white checkered floor, shelves stuffed with dolls, a cute little table set for a tea party for two. And a girl, clad in white. Like Elliot, she, too, is heartsick. He's never seen her before, yet he feels as though this has happened before. She turns to see the newcomer, when her eyes light up. She smiles sweetly. Almost too sweetly. "I believe I heard there was a newcomer coming," she turns to one of her dolls which-to Elliot's surprise-was floating beside her. However, he doesn't even bother to be afraid, for he has no reason to care about his own feelings anymore. "-right, Nonoko-chan?" The battered little girl of a doll giggles with a broken feel to it. "Yes, Alyss!" '_Alyss__...__who__? __Alyss__...__Alice__!" _he realizes. The girl looks exactly like that one he saw with Oz at Isla Yura's mansion-Alice and Alyss...this couldn't be just a coincidence, right? "I'll admit, I was hoping it would be Jack..." she said softly, letting her hair fall to cover her eyes, most likely to hide unshed tears. However, this moment was brief, for next thing Elliot knew, she looked back up at him with that sugar coated smile. "I guess you'll do for now!" Elliot, remembering his manners, introduced himself. "I..I'm Elliot Nightray. You're Alyss, from what I heard?" he said hesitantly. She smiled, "Yes, I am." She didn't admit it, but she enjoyed the fact that he called her "Alyss," in comparison to being called the "Will of Abyss."

Alyss could see that he was shaken. "What's on your mind?" "Huh?" He was surprised that he could tell. "You seem to be thinking hard about something-what might that be?" she inquired, hoping to seal a deal. "I...just wish I could turn back in time and change the way everything turned out," he said, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. "Oh?" she said, interest sparking within her. She grabbed his chin, forcing him to look her in her crazed eyes. "What if I could help you with that?" Only then did he actually look at her. "You can do that?" he whispered. "Of course I can."

But, as we all know, Alyss always collects a price. What was it this time, one might wonder?

It was Elliot's ability to love Ada.


End file.
